Post your Mac'd Entertainment Center!!!!

[MBM007]

Just Curious how you guys are incorporating your Macs into your setups???
Mine is currently being powered by my 12in PowerBook G4(last revision)....I'm looking for a good way to stream video from my MacBook Pro in my office, any suggestions???

 

[MBM007]

A few more!!!

!!!!

 

[StealthRider]

Just Curious how you guys are incorporating your Macs into your setups???
Mine is currently being powered by my 12in PowerBook G4(last revision)....I'm looking for a good way to stream video from my MacBook Pro in my office, any suggestions???

Just standard Quicktime video, or something special?

 

[ill0gical0ne]

Haven't really done much with it yet, as I'm moving in two weeks...

But here it goes.

Right now, my tv is being powered by my MacBook, but I'm planning on buying a Mac Mini sometime soon.

 

[MBM007]

Just standard Quicktime video, or something special?

I'd like to be able to stream .avi, .mkv, and .mp4.....any ideas???

 

[xaphan]

I'd like to be able to stream .avi, .mkv, and .mp4.....any ideas???

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Should do it.

 

[mac2thefuture]

[/IMG]

This was my old system - if i get a MBP i may hook it up but now I've got TV which does pretty much what i ask of it - bar no UK iTunes

Very poor photo quality but playing CSS on 42" was wicked, i had the sound going through an amp on virtual 5.1 - t'was good times.

[/IMG]

 

[jlanuez]

Before & After

Before & After photos of our Client Viewing Room

NEW:
Custom cabinet by metal artist: Ezequil Leoni
52" Sony XBR LCD
Sony blu-ray BDP-S300
Denon AVR 3808CI
Panamax M5100PM
Panamax in-wall power kit
Misc.; wall plates, wire, HDMI cable, etc...
5 Speakercraft in-walls
1 Definitive Technology sub
Phillips Pronto TSU7500 remote

And, or course, an TV

 

[Killyp]

Very poor photo quality but playing CSS on 42" was wicked, i had the sound going through an amp on virtual 5.1 - t'was good times.

When you say 'an amp', you don't mean a guitar or bass amp? If so, this would completely wipe out any possibility of virtual 5.1 working, as it relies on two speakers being available.

Either way, proper stereo > virtual 5.1.

 

[fr4c]

When you say 'an amp', you don't mean a guitar or bass amp? If so, this would completely wipe out any possibility of virtual 5.1 working, as it relies on two speakers being available.

Either way, proper stereo > virtual 5.1.

Amp = AV Receiver.

 

[vicious7]

Wow, these are some very interesting set-ups.

 

[contoursvt]

I guess this would be my entertainment center. Still dont have a proper TV...waiting to afford a 50" HD plasma but I have to wait.... For now my music does me fine

 

[Killyp]

Dude that's a sweet setup, but you really aught to get a really good source. That Yamaha isn't going to be producing a particularly great sound, while the rest of your kit isn't that bad at all. In fact, those speakers are really pretty fantastic, and you've matched the power amp well. The Rotel is also a great piece of kit...

 

[contoursvt]

Thanks dude The speakers are really nice sounding and I do love all the stuff I have. The CD player I have not touched in ages All my music comes streamed from my server to my Squeezebox device. I ripped all my CD's and converted them to FLAC lossless which the Squeezebox supports.

Anyone want a really really cheap Yamaha CD player ?

Dude that's a sweet setup, but you really aught to get a really good source. That Yamaha isn't going to be producing a particularly great sound, while the rest of your kit isn't that bad at all. In fact, those speakers are really pretty fantastic, and you've matched the power amp well. The Rotel is also a great piece of kit...

 

[Killyp]

All my music comes streamed from my server to my Squeezebox device. I ripped all my CD's and converted them to FLAC lossless which the Squeezebox supports.

Fair enough, but Apple Lossless would be better. Takes up less space, sounds just the same.

As for the actual playing side of things, getting a decent DAC connected to that Squeezebox would really, really improve the sound...

 

[contoursvt]

Really it does make that much difference? I know I read that the squeezebox uses a Burr brown DAC and from what I read its pretty decent but I dont know if there are different grades. I think most DACs are pretty pricey too. I'm just a poor IT guy

Fair enough, but Apple Lossless would be better. Takes up less space, sounds just the same.

As for the actual playing side of things, getting a decent DAC connected to that Squeezebox would really, really improve the sound...

 

[Killyp]

Really it does make that much difference? I know I read that the squeezebox uses a Burr brown DAC and from what I read its pretty decent but I dont know if there are different grades. I think most DACs are pretty pricey too. I'm just a poor IT guy

Yes, it would make a difference. It would sound less 'wooden' and more musical. If you're happy with it atm though, there's no need to change it.

I would convert your music to Apple Lossless though. It's as it says, lossless. Just uses some clever algorithms to combine similar bits of the data into one etc. Like the difference between a BMP and a PNG.

 

[contoursvt]

Thing is that my main computer is a windows based machine and my server is a win2k server box. I dont use itunes on my PC and I believe if I want to use Apple lossless I have to install itunes on my server and have it handle the library. Slimserver will be reading the content from itunes then. Dont wanna really go through that. Plus my server has a pair of 250GB mirrored SATA drives just for music so I have tons of free space still. Dont think I'm filling it in this lifetime.

Yes, it would make a difference. It would sound less 'wooden' and more musical. If you're happy with it atm though, there's no need to change it.

I would convert your music to Apple Lossless though. It's as it says, lossless. Just uses some clever algorithms to combine similar bits of the data into one etc. Like the difference between a BMP and a PNG.

 

[sycho]

I would convert your music to Apple Lossless though. It's as it says, lossless. Just uses some clever algorithms to combine similar bits of the data into one etc. Like the difference between a BMP and a PNG.

Did you even read his post???

He said that his library is in FLAC right now, you know, Free Lossless Audio Codec?

 

[Shotglass]

Did you even read his post???

He said that his library is in FLAC right now, you know, Free Lossless Audio Codec?

Relax, he read it. Otherwise he wouldn't be telling him why to use Apple Lossless instead of FLAC, you know, Free Lossless Audio Codec.

 

[jordygreen]

I have recently added an Xbox 360 Elite and planning on adding Mac Mini pretty soon.

 

[sycho]

Relax, he read it. Otherwise he wouldn't be telling him why to use Apple Lossless instead of FLAC, you know, Free Lossless Audio Codec.

Go re-read his last post, he is comparing it to PNG & BMP, which is like comparing FLAC or ALAC to WAV. If it is already in one lossless format, there is no benefit at all to move to a different lossless format.

 

[XheartcoreboyX]

i dont know how you guys can put a 30" screen right infront of your face and connect it to a computer!? i would lose my eyes..
if i ever get a 30" screen it would be just a TV

 

[spencers]

My dorm setup.

I cleaned up the wires after the picture was taken. The movies belong to my roommate.

 

[David Aames]

Just moved in to our new place (hence the lack of art). The important things are all set up though.

View from kitchen:

Hallway View:

From coffee table:

Devices:

TV: Sharp 37" Aquos (very small - getting a 46" hopefully soon)
Sound - Bose Acoustamas (Yeah yeah Bose sucks, is too expenseive, blah blah)
Top Left - Bell HD PVR
Bottom Left - Harmon Kardon Amp
Top Right - Sony Blu-Ray Player
Bottom Right - Apple TV + XBox360+HD DVD Player
DVI to HDMI for hooking up my Macbook Pro behind the unit